E U R O P E S P E A
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W.G. EICHLER 24 Mandeville Rise, Welwyn Garden City, Herts E U R O P E s p e a k s [Heft 5,] 4th May, 1942 [Seite - 1 -] Hitler speaks. What is the significance of his speech? Last winter when the situation on the Eastern Front became serious Hitler took over the Supreme Command of the army. Now he has assumed special powers because the situation on the German home front also calls for ruthless and speedy action. Against Whom? This time the attack is obviously directed not only against the workers! The war against Russia has shown the limitations of the German war machine. The Nazis hoped to overcome these weaknesses by making tremendous efforts during the past winter and thus to achieve in their spring offensive what they had failed to do in the autumn fighting. For months now the German press has been presenting a picture of the difficulties which they are encountering in trying to carry out this task. The Nazis are staking everything on one card by ruthlessly mobilising all their resources. They have tried to put the German industrial machine and the available man-power totally at the disposal of their war production. All in One Boat? The new slogan was: "We sink or swim together." But this story about the people being all in one boat has not impressed many of the influential people in the Third Reich. We have in mind the conservative and clerical reactionaries; they are the people from the old ruling class who, although they fostered Nazism, regarded Hitler as a menial, only fit to do their dirty work, never as their superior. Even to-day a large part of the industrial war machine is still in their hands; they occupy leading positions in the army; and the Nazis could not even oust them completely from the higher administration and the judiciary. These people realise that a defeat will mean the end of Hitler and his clique; they are, however, not convinced that their own power will be doomed. Since this winter has shown clearly that a victory for the Nazis is anything but a certainty these circles are much less willing to co-operate with the Nazis and have tried to stabilise and strengthen their own positions. In German industry there are especially striking examples of this tendency. [Seite im Original:] - 2- Industrial "Autonomy" Scarcely two and a half months after ZANGEN[1], the president of the German "Industriellenverband" (association of industrialists) and general director of the Mannesmann[2] concern, was put in charge of the mobilisation ("Konzentrierung") of the German war economy the "Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung"[3] of 15th March 1942 sounded a triumphant note: "Industry should determine the details of its own policy." Under the direction of ZANGEN "Reichsvereinigungen" (national associations) were created, concerning which Dr. VITS[4], general director of the "Vereinigte Glanzstoffwerke"[5] expressed himself as follows: "Industry welcomes the `Reichsvereinigungen' (RV), especially because part of the functions which at present are carried out by Government authorities will in future be taken over by the RV ..." More "Confidence" The "Frankfurter Zeitung"[6] wrote on March 22nd, 1942 in a rather aggressive tone: "It is important that good relations between entrepreneur and the State should not suffer just at this time when a certain amount of unwelcome state interference is necessary." War Profits At about the same time the big German armament firms evaded heavier taxation of their war profits. The German "Preiskommissar", the banker FISCHBOECK[7] whose function it was to check up war profits, suddenly decided to hand over this task to the Ministry of Finance. And here again the "Frankfurter Zeitung" of March 27th 1942 had the face to declare openly: "The entrepreneurs would have preferred from the outset to be taxed rather than to submit to control of their business. Private industry will therefore welcome the decision of Dr. FISCHBOECK. " The "Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" was subsequently able to comment on the "pleasant surprise" caused by certain exemption from special war tax, granted to all entrepreneurs who had less than 30,000 Marks profit. Counterblows But this victory of industry with its long-term policy brought the Nazi bosses on to the scene. When at the end of March the well-known Nazi FRITZ SAUCKEL[8] took over the post of MANSFELD[9], who had represented the interests of heavy industry and was by no means a friend of the workers, it became clear that the Nazi dictatorship was planning a blow against Big Business. The "Frankfurter Zeitung" gave the following warning (and not out of sympathy for the worker!): "The new style of German economic life consists of the concentrated use of man- power and the continuous shifting of German men and women." But the Nazi dictators who are now fighting for their very existence are no longer considering long-term policy. They demand immediate and total mobilisation of effort for the decisive struggle with which they are faced. Everything should be staked on this effort. A decree was issued which threatens with the death penalty any industrialist who is guilty of sabotage. "The Gentlemen" This was the commencement of a series of sharper attacks; the new powers assumed by Hitler are intended to enable these attacks to be carried out with the utmost ruthlessness. This time the attacks are once more [Seite im Original:] - 3- directed against the "gentlemen", against certain circles in industry, big landowners, high army officers, high officials in the administration and the judiciary, those who, though they are now in the same boat as the Nazis, are already preparing to leave the sinking ship before it is too late. The fact that the Nazis are determined to take such rigorous measures against the enemy within just at this moment when the world is expecting to see them launch the spring offensive, shows how serious is the situation on the home front. Nazi Ruthlessness It has, however, quite another aspect, which should not be overlooked in judging the situation in Germany. It shows the ruthless determination which the real Nazi clique put their plans into operation in spite of all opposition. Just as, in 1934, Hitler did not shrink from murdering ROEHM[10] and his followers when their activities did not suit his purpose, still less will he shrink from the shooting of unreliable generals, officials and "Wirtschaftsfuehrer" should that seem necessary. The Unreliable Opposition Still more important in judging recent events is it to realise that these "middle-class opponents" of Hitler are always inclined to go with him whenever he shows the mailed fist, or, what is more important, when he has successes. The fate of the exponents of this class who tried from time to time to hold Hitler in check and expected to be able to do so, should serve as a warning not to have any faith in this class as an effective opposition to Hitler. HUGENBERG[11], SELDTE[12], von FRITSCH[13], RAUSCHNING [14] and the rest show that nothing is to be expected from this direction. They and Hitler are birds of a feather. The Workers Therefore we cannot hope for revolution from this side. Apart from this, it is to be feared that some of the workers, especially the young workers, will be misled, seeing that the Nazis are now attacking the "capitalist profiteers" and will perhaps expropriate some capitalists and penalise some high officials. All this may be presented to the workers under the guise of National Socialism, "now at last on the march", putting into practice what was promised in 1918, but never kept to. What is to be Done The situation in the Third Reich is undoubtedly serious. But this is in the main because the Third Reich is preparing for a tremendous effort and in the process comes up against a great number of people for whom it is too much. Should this effort be crowned with success which makes it seem worth while then the faint-hearted and the grumblers will quickly be silenced. To assume that the situation in the Third Reich will lead to a collapse and that no efforts from outside are needed seems to us to be the most dangerous illusion into which opponents of the Third Reich can fall. If, on the other hand, thanks to the increased war effort of the Allies, the Hitler offensive is held in Russia - not to speak of complete failure - then the split which to-day is evident on the home front may rapidly extend and may indeed lead to internal collapse. [Seite im Original:] - 4- A Swiss Skilled Worker in Germany "I was introduced to the manager who bade me a very hearty welcome. Then I went on the hunt for digs. It took me about a week to find a fairly decent room. My landlady was studying theology, so I was in good company. The next day I went to see the workshop I was to be in. I had been promised everything imaginable. I was to become a foreman. The wages seemed adequate. I was presented to my fellow-workers. They greeted my arrival with looks of astonishment and with whispered remarks to each other. For a Swiss is something worth looking at these days. Just look at his shoes! And when he turns up in the morning he doesn't say `Heil Hitler` but just an ordinary `Good Morning' in his German-Swiss dialect, getting the regulationed German greeting for an answer, of course. At least that's what happened for the first three days. Then, one after another, they changed their minds and greeted me with their homely `Greet God'.